Fix Generic AI Output

The Four Layers of Context

• Background

  Give the AI the situation.

  What’s happening? Who’s involved? What’s been decided?

  Examples

  • “We’re rolling out a new onboarding process next month.”
  • “Our team has four people and we’ve been short-staffed since January.”
  • “The client renewed their contract but asked us to cut the timeline in half.”

• Audience

  Tell the AI who it’s for.

  Who will read this? What do they already know? What level of detail do they need?

  Examples

  • “The checklist is for new hires in their first week.”
  • “Write a report for senior leadership who will use it to approve the budget.”
  • “This email goes to the whole department. Not everyone knows the project details.”

• Purpose

  Tell the AI the goal.

  What should this do? Inform? Persuade? Reassure? What should the reader do or feel?

  Examples

  • “Reassure the client that the project is back on track after the delay.”
  • “Convince leadership to approve the new schedule.”
  • “Help new hires feel prepared before their first day.”

• Reference Material

  Give the AI an example to follow.

  Do you have an example? A template? Anything that shows the AI what good looks like?

  Examples

  • “Here’s the slide deck from last time. Follow the same layout.”
  • “I’ve attached an email with the tone I want you to match.”
  • “Write the proposal using this template as a guide.”